


Without a Trace

by GothicDeetz



Category: Beetlejuice - Perfect/Brown & King
Genre: Accidents, Head Injury, Memories, Memory Loss, One Shot, Recovered Memories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:14:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25789414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GothicDeetz/pseuds/GothicDeetz
Summary: After suffering a head injury, Lydia loses all her memories of the Maitlands and they must do everything to help her get them back.
Relationships: Lydia Deetz & Adam Maitland & Barbara Maitland
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	Without a Trace

Memories were always treasured, kept in books and never to be forgotten. Except in the cases of head injuries and that is what happened to fifteen year-old Lydia Deetz one autumn day.

She had been helping the Maitlands sort through boxes and boxes of old memories in the attic all day one crisp September day and had been particularly good about it. It served her a chance to get to know her ghostly guardians better and it served them a chance to get to know her better. They didn't think anything bad of the sort would happen that day.

"Thanks again for helping us sort through these boxes again, Lydia," said Barbara as she put the last of the boxes of memories back. "It means a lot to us."

"Aw, it was no biggie, Adam, Barbara. I-," Lydia started to say before she heard a swishing noise.

She and the Maitlands looked up.

A box that was balanced preciously on the top of a stack of eight or nine boxes began to slide off of it, bringing worry to the Maitlands' faces. They moved off to the side so as to avoid the box as it fell but Lydia wasn't so lucky. It was as if the world wanted her to stay stuck in that one spot and endure some sort of injury.

"LYDIA! WATCH OUT!" Barbara yelled from where she and Adam were hiding.

She turned her head to look, scared, at her ghost friends and guardians, not noticing the box slide completely off the top of the pile. The worry on the Maitlands' faces became looks of absolute terror as the box fell and hit Lydia on the top of her head.

"LYDIA!!!" the Maitlands shouted out of horror.

She wasn't bleeding per se but there was a huge bruise on her head where the box had hit her and she was passed out on the ground. The Maitlands looked at one another before leaving the area of the attic where they'd hidden to avoid the box. Barbara kneeled down next to Lydia and took the teen's hand in her own. Adam sat himself on the floor and rested an ice cold hand on the injury on Lydia's head. Lydia flinched a little when Adam's hand touched her warm skin which meant she was okay.

"Lydia," Barbara said calmly. "You there?"

She sat up and the Maitlands retracted their hands. "Who are you and why do you know my name?"

The Maitlands adopted looks of panic. What?

"Lydia, it's us: the Maitlands... don't you remember us?" Lydia shook her head.

"I don't remember any Maitlands in my life," explained Lydia. "I do know my dad, Delia, and someone named Betelgeuse though. That's about it really."

Barbara led Adam to somewhere private in the attic.

"Adam? What do we do? Lydia's lost her memories of us..." whimpered Barbara.

Adam put a comforting hand on Barbara's shoulder. "We'll figure this whole mess out, Babs, I know we will. We'll do everything we can think of to help our dear Lydia to get her memories of us back."

Barbara sighed. "I hope."

"Hey, strange people? What are we talking about?" piped up Lydia. The Maitlands turned to find her standing there and staring confusedly at them.

"You. It seems you lost your memories of us." Barbara went over to Lydia (She was careful not to float just yet) and placed a hand on her shoulder. Lydia flinched away but kept her confused eyes on the Maitlands. "We're gonna try to help you get them back and I know who can help us. Come on."

Adam and Barbara began to head towards the door to the attic and Lydia followed them nervously. Adam opened the door and allowed Barbara and Lydia to exit before he himself exited.

They headed down the stairs and onto the second floor of the house, making their way into Delia’s and Charles’ bedroom. Sure enough, Delia was sitting on the bed she shared with Charles and examining her crystals for the sixteenth time. She looked up to see Adam, Barbara, and Lydia enter the room and put the crystal she was holding down, sliding off of her bed and making her way over towards the other three.

“You guys seem troubled,” the Life Coach spoke of the Maitlands. “Is something the matter?”

“It’s Lydia!” Barbara cried out, holding onto Adam for support. “She- she’s lost her memories of us.”

“Now that’s a problem.” Delia went to sit back down on her bed and patted an empty spot next to her. The Maitlands led Lydia over to the bed and she climbed up onto it. “Can she still see you guys?”

“She can but she doesn’t remember us,” Adam clarified.

“I see. What happened?”

“We were sorting boxes when one fell and hit Lydia on the head. She must have suffered a bad head injury when that happened and that’s what caused her to lose all her memories of us,” said Barbara. “Is there a way we can get the Lydia who knows and loves us back?”

“Talking to her about you guys may help,” Delia explained. “Once, I lost my memories when I was a child and talking helped me out a lot.”

The Maitlands nodded.

“Lydia, these are the Maitlands. Our resident house ghosts and your guardians and close friends,” Delia began, Lydia listening and nodding along. “Is anything coming to you, dear stepdaughter?”

Lydia’s nodding became frequent. “I remember both their names. Adam and Barbara if I do recall.”

Adam and Barbara looked at each other, smiling wide. They pulled Lydia into a hug and she held onto their arms.

“Anything else?” asked Delia.

“I know they’re always there for me whenever I need them. They’re the best ghost pals in the entire living world.” Lydia smiled and laughed.

Happy, the Maitlands let go of Lydia.

“Want to go help us with something in the basement?” teased Barbara.

Lydia raised an eyebrow. “I thought you guys avoided the basement because that’s the location of your deaths?”

“We do. I was only teasing.”

“Barbara!”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated. :).


End file.
